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RODRIGO GARCIA: OPPORTUNITY-MAKER FOR THOUSANDS OF HISPANIC ENGINEERS
Continued from page 5.
A New Chapter
Garcia and his friends were ahead of the curve for being inclusive. “We chose ’Hispanics’ rather than ‘Latinos’ for the name of the society to unite people,” he says.
“Our goal is to promote the social and economic betterment of the Hispanic community by being role models,” says Garcia. SHPE members created programs to expose Hispanic high school students to engineering careers. “We thought, even if they don’t choose engineering but still go to college, that’s good for the community,” he says.
Shortly after creating SHPE, Garcia received an alumni survey from Cal State LA and responded that Hispanic students needed support. Leslie Cromwell, then- dean of the engineering school, met with Garcia, and he shared his concerns and explained SHPE’s goals. At Cromwell’s urging, Garcia formed the first student SHPE chapter at Cal State LA.
“Today, our student chapter embodies the principles, ‘Commit to excellence and engage in community,’ through our collaborations and effective use of resources on campus and within our community,” says Pyae Hein, the chapter’s president.
Hein adds, “We are increasing the number of Hispanics and minorities entering the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). We are also developing and implementing programs and resources for engineering and science students to enhance their education, employment and economic and social well-being."
As Garcia looked for opportunities for high school and college students, he also worked to build his own career. He thrived as a civil engineer for the city of Los Angeles. He designed bridges and oversaw construction projects, including at the city’s port administration building. He also was a plan checker for the Department of Building and Safety earthquake safety section, responsible for structural soundness of retrofitted buildings.
Garcia and a friend saw an opportunity when the city of Los Angeles cited 8,200 buildings that required earthquake retrofitting. They formed two companies in 1981 that offered construction and design services for earthquake retrofit projects.
In his short time at UCLA, Garcia saw the social support fraternities offered members. Inspired, he developed a similar model for student chapters that could offer social and academic support.
In the meantime, Garcia returned to school at California State University, Los Angeles, and completed his engineering studies. Shortly after he graduated, he urged five other Latino engineers to help create the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) in 1974.
Garcia is now president of Century Diversified Inc., which provides engineering, project management and inspections for transportation, transit and housing industries. It also is committed to providing technical and scientific career opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Nationwide Opportunities
As Garcia grew in his career, SHPE grew too. In 2015, attendance at SHPE’s national conference and career fair jumped nearly 25 percent to 7,000 in one year.
“We want to be the Hispanic STEM leader in educational and professional development for the nation. We have 10,000 members and 350 student and professional chapters nationwide,” says Garcia, a SHPE board member.
Garcia continues to seek opportunities for Hispanic engineers because the population employed in STEM jobs still does not reflect the population of our country, particularly in California. He and others from SHPE recently visited Silicon Valley to build STEM partnerships for up-and-coming Hispanic engineers. “The climate
is right and a significant number of programmers will be needed there,” he says.
Garcia’s opportunity-making goal for SHPE is perpetual: As SHPE members grow professionally, they will help create more opportunities that will benefit the Hispanic community.
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